Tony Rhodin | The Express-Times

About Me:

Is it possible to be a conservative liberal? Not really a moderate, but at times an extremist on either side -- depending on the issue? Money? Don't spend it unless you need to spend it. Civil rights? They belong to all of us, not just those who agree with you, no matter what you believe. Born and raised in the Valley; raised all three of my kids here. Know there's an outside world, but always happy to get home again. The written word has value and even in these days of free opinion, reporting is worth more than you'll ever know. Unless it disappears. And then you'll understand why we can't live without it, no matter what it costs.

What do you mean "lose their coverage?" Their employers are dropping their coverage?

"If the system ..." It's already collapsed, if you haven't noticed. On the weight of people using it and not paying. Leaving it to the skyrocketing premiums of the insured to foot the bill.

Until recently, the complaint was all about the cost of health insurance. How that was a job killer. Now conservatives don't seem to be concerned with cost. They're upset that Obama usurped their ideas for private-sector coverage with a mandate. Much of the plan is very Republican. tr

I've suggested many times how we should be meeting our current obligations, but ever since G.W. Bush cuts taxes in 2001 and 2003, the government doesn't want to pay for what it buys. So it buys and buys and buys and collects less and less and less in revenue.

And the point on insuring more people is not that more (or less) is spent on health care, but health insurance. It's likely more would be spent on health care with higher insurance participation because people would get proper preventative care.

It is shameful that 25 percent of Texans don't have health insurance and shocking to me that conservatives don't think getting health care off the premiums of the insured is freeloading. tr

I think if Romney wins, he takes the Senate with him -- and I think both are very real possibilities. The problem with the Senate is you need 60 votes, not 51. That's where the gridlock could be. But some Dems tend to vote more like Republicans; few Republicans vote more like Democrats. If Romney wins and takes the Senate, the House agenda could become law, no matter what Romney's politics are. tr

How long after the bill became law but long before it was implemented did medical device makers build in the price increase to cover the tax? I'm betting right away. What's the profit margin on a medical device? I'm betting huge because it's part of a system where costs ran away a long time ago and just kept going.

Why didn't the device makers get on board at the same time as the insurance companies? I'm betting their lobbyists told them Congress would never pass the tax. Device makers could have but failed to get the incentives of being early adapters in the law.

So, I feel bad for you if this causes you stress and eventually your job. But I don't feel sorry for the companies. tr

In the past 20 years one of the greatest job killers was the cost of health insurance. Why was it so expensive? Because people with it had to pay for their own care and for the care of those who didn't have insurance. So we insure 30 million (not billion btw, there are only 7 billion people on earth), and it's called a job killer. Sometimes you can't win.

And the 30 million people weren't not getting heath care. They were just scamming the system. So by insuring these people, we aren't bringing more people into the system they are just paying their way finally. tr

Why do you think health care insurance rates have gone up so much in the past 20 years? Because uninsured people were using hospitals as primary care physicians. The key was to get more people insured. Now, with a public option there would have been a way to control costs as people with preexisting conditions were added. But folks such as yourself decried that as socialized medicine. Instead, we gave the insurance companies an windfall, with the healthy people coming into the system offsetting the very sick now being insured.

So, prices skyrocketed prior to this law. A bad thing. Federal taxes, on the other hand, are lower than they were in 1993. State taxes in New Jersey are about to be cut and they are stable in Pennsylvania. So your state taxes aren't going up. Local taxes are only influenced by health care costs at the employment level. They have gone up, but it's not because of the health insurance law. tr

Thank you for clarifying. My job, as far as I know, is at risk from many things but the health care law doesn't appear to be one of them. The medical devices industry is being taxed and, you are right, that could put you at risk. tr

Once again, the federal income tax rate is less than it was in 1993. Your insurance premiums have likely gone up every year. You're not trading anything unless some raises the federal tax rate. You think the GOP in the House is going to raise the federal income tax rate? tr

Again, federal tax rates are lower than they were in 1993. The raising taxes argument is a non-starter.

People needing subsidies who then qualify for Medicaid are not freeloaders. A freeloader is a young person making $50,000 a year who doesn't want to buy insurance because they feel invincible. If that person gets seriously hurt and can't pay, the cost is left to the hospitals and is recovered through higher insurance premiums. And those premiums have shot up in the past 20 years.

With expanded Medicaid, state health insurance pools and requirements for companies about 50 employees to provide health care, another 30 million people will be covered. That's better for all us insured.

As for getting the tax from someone who can't pay, the IRS will step in as it does with other tax cheats. tr